So-called smart tickets, containing RFID tags, are increasingly being used in sporting events. According to an article in Vnunet.com, the German 2006 Fifa World Cup and the Chinese 2008 Olympics are planning to introduce radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged tickets:

"German World Cup 2006 officials said that they would be using RFID tagging on tickets to speed entry to games and cut down on counterfeiting.

The tickets will include match and seating data, but officials would not say whether they intend to record personal information on the ticket owners.

Philips is currently piloting the scheme, but FIFA 2006 explained that the full implementation would need to be put out to competitive tender.

"Trials have shown that, after a little bit of initial confusion, fans are finding it very easy to use," said Mario Rivas, executive vice president at Philips Semiconductors.Organisers of the Olympics are piloting Philips smart tickets to combine entry to the games along with the ability to pay for public transport, parking, merchandising and food."